Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this chapter besides the plotline. Everything Percy Jackson related belongs to Rick Riordan, and Hamilton belongs to Lin Manuel Miranda.

A/N: Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving! If you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, then Happy Thursday. Here's a nice early chapter for you. What are you all thankful for? Tell me in the reviews. Thanks so much for reading/favoriting/following. This is the chapter where we have rehearsal number one! I will probably make a poll for changing the title, because you probably don't think Hamilton when you read that. Feel free to PM me or review your title ideas. I'll put the poll up once I've gotten enough ideas that I like.

Fanfiction recommendation: The Codependency Competition -A Percabeth Fanfic. It's a Percabeth at highschool fic, but Percy and Annabeth pretend not to know each other. I'm not doing a great job at explaining, soooo…link at the bottom. It's really good.

Annabeth Third Person POV:

Annabeth stomped out of her dad's house and slammed the door. She opened her car door and stepped inside, driving away from her dad's house. She thought about what had just happened. It was an hour and a half before her first rehearsal, and Annabeth had stopped by her dad's house before she drove to the theater. Why she had done that, Annabeth wasn't sure, but she had felt like she should. The "talk" went something like this:

"Hi, Dad," Annabeth said tentatively, after he'd opened the door.

"Oh, Annabeth, what a surprise," Frederick said. He was holding her work laptop, and looked surprised, like he'd forgotten that she said she would stop by, forgotten that she'd even existed.

"Yeah, I just wanted to say hi. I said I'd stop by, remember? It's my first rehearsal today? Dad?" Annabeth prompted.

"Oh, um, yes, that sounds lovely. Remind me what the rehearsal is for?"

"The musical? You know? Th-The one I'm starring in?" Annabeth felt like she was going to cry. She had gotten a leading role in a Broadway play and he didn't care.

"Yes, that is certainly… something," Frederick responded staring at his computer screen, "Well, I'm very busy, so I must go, so come in, and talk to Helen."

Helen was Annabeth's stepmother, and Annabeth hated her. When Frederick and Helen got married, (Annabeth was just a kid) Helen brought along two sons, and younger brothers for Annabeth. Helen acted like Annabeth was dangerous, something to protect her two darling little boys from. Annabeth ran away from home when she was seven. Annabeth lived with an older girl called Thalia, who had also run away from home, until she was twelve, where she then came back home. Helen never changed. She was still acting the role of the perfect mother with her perfect family, and Annabeth was just an outsider, someone to protect her family from.

And throughout this whole thing, you might think Frederick would have at least notice something was wrong. He was so wrapped up in his work that he didn't even notice -or care- that something was wrong. In fact, Annabeth wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't noticed she was missing until she had been gone for a month.

Annabeth reluctantly walked inside.

"Helen?" Frederick called, "Helen? Annabeth's here."

"Oh, that's… great!" Helen answered from upstairs.

"Helen, could you come downstairs?" Frederick asked.

"Oh, yes, sure." Helen agreed. She came downstairs and waved hello to Annabeth. Frederick left the room and went to his office.

"So, Frederick told me you're in a musical, right?" Helen asked.

"Yes…" Annabeth answered, unsure where this was going

"About the first secretary of state."

"Yes."

"And this is your first role, correct?"

"Yes,"

"So… are you in the ensemble, maybe a small speaking part?"

"I got a leading role as Eliza Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton's wife,"

"I understand you want to impress your dad and I, but we don't exactly like musicals. Or care about them all too much. Or even want anything to do with them. What's the point of watching people waste their lives and their opportunities? So there's really no need to pretend you got a leading role when there are surely other… better actors out there. Especially when you could have accepted that promotion your boss offered you at the architectural firm."

Annabeth couldn't believe what her step-mother was suggesting.

"Excuse me? Well, could you please explain to me why in the world would I care enough about your opinion to lie about it?"

"I mean, well, I just don't want Bobby and Matthew to grow up thinking their sister is super successful even though she left her job at an architectural firm. And if you pretend you're more successful than what you are, well, they might make the same mistakes as you."

"I think it's time to pop that little bubble of denial you've got going there. I couldn't care less what you think. And, for your information, I also couldn't care less about your opinions on the way Bobby and Matthew grow up. My career choices weren't a mistake. It's called following your dreams, you know, something good parents and good people encourage you to do," Annabeth shouted.

"I was a good parent! I fed you! I bought you clothes!" Helen retorted.

"That's the bare minimum, okay? Do you want an award or something for making sure I didn't starve? And I say "starve" instead of "keep alive" because that would involve making sure I lived at home the whole time I wasn't legally an adult. If your seven year old daughter can understand that something is wrong, that she needs to leave, then you should have started thinking about what you can change to be better, not what I need to fix," Annabeth yelled.

"You do not need to criticize my parenting!"

"Maybe I do! And you don't need to criticize me and my life! I pay my bills, I feed myself, I buy myself clothes, and I also do things that make me happy. You could learn a lesson from me," With that, Annabeth stomped out of her dad's house and slammed the door.

Now, Annabeth sat in her car, thinking. She hated how Helen would always assume Annabeth was lying about an achievement, because surely there's no way Annabeth could be that talented. This had happened when Annabeth was a kid, too. Annabeth sighed, and started up her car. She didn't want to be late to her first rehearsal.

As Annabeth neared the theater, she thought about how it was always such a long drive. She couldn't keep doing this every day. Maybe Annabeth could buy a new apartment, one much closer to the theater. Annabeth also remembered that she needed to officially hand in her resignation at work the next day. Annabeth had been putting it off ever since she found out she was casted. Maybe because she didn't want to have to tell her parents.

Suddenly, Annabeth heard a little "ding!" from her phone, meaning she got a text. Annabeth pulled over and checked it. It was from her group chat with Piper and Hazel.

Piper: hey guys wanna meet up for coffee b 4 rehearsal?

Annabeth: Yes, I would. What time and place?

Hazel: …

Annabeth: What?

Piper: caps? Eww

Annabeth: Well, excuse me for proper grammar

Piper: k

Piper: excuse u

Hazel: like actually tho. what time and place?

Piper: Hestia's Coffee Parlor 8:30

Piper: its pretty close to the theater, so we have enough time to be not rushed

Piper: sound good?

Hazel: yea, sounds gret

Annabeth: *great

Annabeth: By the way, that's good for me, too

Calypso: … I'm not even going to comment

Annabeth: You just did

Calypso: ugghhh srsly?

Hazel gtg. bye : )

Piper: bye, c u soon

Annabeth: Goodbye! I'll see you in 45 minutes!

Annabeth kept driving to Long Island. Soon, she pulled into the parking lot of the coffee shop. It was a small, brick building with the name Hestia's Coffee Parlor written in fancy font. Annabeth walked in, and looked around for Piper or Hazel. The coffee shop was small, but homey. There were small tables, and soft armchairs arranged around them. Everything felt warm and happy and safe. Annabeth spotted Piper waving her over from a table by a fireplace.

"Wow, this is a really cool place," Annabeth commented.

"I know, right? It's just this amazing place, tucked away in a little corner of Long Island," Piper pointed out.

"Do you know how long it's been open for?" Annabeth wondered.

"Oh, I don't know exactly how long, but it's been here for ages and ages. It was here even before I moved here," Piper said.

"Oh, wow, really, where did you come from?" Annabeth asked. Piper was about to answer when she started waving to Hazel, who had just entered the coffee shop.

"Hey guys!" Hazel greeted them.

"Hi! How are you?" Piper asked.

"Great, thanks. I'm super excited for this first rehearsal," Hazel said.

"Same! I'm so excited!" Annabeth agreed.

"So, Annabeth, how does it feel having a leading role?" Hazel wondered.

"Well, I can't really make any comments since we haven't had any rehearsal's before, but I'm super excited. And nervous, too," Annabeth responded.

"Same here," Piper said.

"You wanna order now?" Piper asked.

"Sure," Annabeth and Hazel said. They ordered, and continued to talk.

As Annabeth, Piper, and Hazeltalked, Annabeth felt something click. Sure, she had friends, but not like this. Even though they didn't know each other, like at all, it felt like they were old friends. Annabeth just hoped that the other two felt the same way.

Before they knew it, their half hour was almost up, and it was time to drive to the theater.

"We should probably wrap up," Annabeth suggested, "It's nearly time for the rehearsal, and we don't want to be late."

"Yeah, that's fine," Piper agreed.

"That's a good idea," Hazel said. They all left, and agreed to meet back up in front of the theater. Annabeth waved goodbye, and walked out to her car. She drove out to the theater, and grabbed her script that she had printed from the car, and waited in front of the theater for the others to arrive. After a minute or two, they showed up, and stood in front of the theater to wait until it was actually 9:00. After a minute or so, Percy showed up. Great. Annabeth sighed. Annabeth still hated him for being insufferable and annoying. Right?

"Oh, why hello, Wise Girl," Percy greeted, bowing to her.

Annabeth curtsied and responded.

"Hello, Seaweed Brain."

"And who are the two lovely ladies with you?" Percy asked with a smile.

"Piper and Calypso. We're all being Schuyler Sisters together."

"Oh, how-"

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

"Well, if that's what Queen Annie wants,"

"Don't. Call. Me. Annie. Unless, of course, you want to be judo flipped,"

"Maybe I do, Annie."

"Alright then." Annabeth reached out, grabbed his hand, and judo flipped him onto his back. From the floor, Percy groaned.

"I didn't think you'd really do it!" He protested.

"Don't underestimate me," Annabeth warned. She walked away, Hazeland Piper following behind her.

"Annabeth, you know how to judo flip people!?" Piper exclaimed.

"Yep," Annabeth answered casually.

"Wow! How did you learn?" Hazelasked.

"Oh, there's a girl named Thalia I used to know. She taught me," Annabeth responded.

"So, I can't believe you and Percy are on nicknames already," Piper commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Annabeth asked defensively.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. I was just a little surprised that you guys have pet na- sorry, nicknames for each other after you guys had a whole big fight last week," Piper explained.

"Well, we've… moved on from that," Annabeth answered stiffly.

"Okay, well, do you think we should just head inside the building or…?" Hazel wondered.

"Oh, um, just head inside. That would make the most sense," Annabeth decided.

Annabeth pushed open the door and they walked inside, Percy trailing behind them.

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Percy Third Person POV:

Percy walked inside, trailing behind the girls. He couldn't believe that Annabeth could actually judo flip people. That was crazy! Percy thought it was cool, though. Finally, Percy reached the theater, where Jason and Frank were already waiting. Percy looked at them apprehensively. While they might still be mad at him for being late to auditions, Percy thought it was best to try to be friends.

Percy walked over to them, and sat down.

"Hey, you guys are playing George Washington, Hercules Mulligan, and James Madison, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm playing George Washington," Jason clarified.

"I'm playing Hercules Mulligan and James Madison," Frank chimed in.

"So, have you guys ever been in a musical before?" Percy asked.

"No, this was my first time playing a role in a musical," Jason answered.

"Same here," Frank answered. As they were talking, people had been slowly trickling in, until it was 9:00 AM, and the room was full.

Percy was about to respond to Frank's comment when Chiron walked in, along with and Mr.D.

"Hello everyone!" Chiron called, "Thank you all for coming! Before we start off with rehearsal, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Chiron, the director of this show. You may call me Chiron."

Mr.D went next.

"I'm , and I'm assistant director. Call me Mr.D."

Finally, introduced himself.

"Hello everybody. I am Lester Papadopoulos, the writer of this musical. I'm also a producer. You may call me Apollo. Don't ask. Just call me Apollo."

"Right, if we had a smaller cast I would have people go around and say their names, and who they play. While that seems silly, I find that it helps to have a cast that's all friends with each other, or at least knows each other. However, since we have such a large cast, you will just have five minutes to talk to five people and say your name and your role," Chiron instructed.

"Your time starts… now." Everyone milled around talking with each other. Percy found out that Shel Williams was in the ensemble, Rachel Elizabeth Dare was the understudy for Eliza Hamilton, HazelAtlas was playing Maria Reynolds and Peggy Schuyler, Ethan Nakumura was playing John Adams, and Charles Beckendorf was the understudy for Hercules Mulligan and James Madison.

"Right, do you all have your scripts?" Chiron asked. There was a chorus of "Yes" from all around the room.

"Good," Chiron said, "In this building, your character will be just as important as you are. I won't say Luke, Piper, Ethan, come up. I'll say Burr, Angelica, John Adams, come up. Understand?" Everyone nodded.

"Great! Now that that's settled, let's start out with a simple readthrough. We'll all sit down on the stage, and just read through our lines while the orchestra is also playing. Understudies, follow Mr.D into the other room where you'll have a second practice. There will be at least a half hour everyday where the understudies and main actors will practice together." Chiron instructed. All the understudies followed Mr.D out of the room, and everyone sat down on the stage and took out their scripts.

"Burr, you start. Wait for a count of 7 before you sing," Chiron told Luke. The music started, and Luke began to sing. (Well, really these lines were talking… but tomato tomahto)

"How does a bastard, orphan,

son of a whore and a scotsman,

dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean, by providence

impoverished, in squalor,

grow up to be a hero and a scholar?"

Then, Grover came in.

"The ten-dollar founding father without a father,

got a lot farther,

by working a lot harder,

by being a lot smarter,

by being a self-starter,

by fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter."

Next, Leo Valdez came in as Thomas Jefferson.

"And every day, while slaves were being slaughtered, and carted away,

Across the waves, he struggled and kept his guard up.

Inside, he was longing for something to be a part of,

The brother was ready to beg, steal, borrow, or barter."

They kept going like this for a while. When Percy heard Annabeth's part as Eliza, his jaw dropped. She had such a beautiful voice. Finally, after they finished "The Story of Tonight," Chiron called, "Alright, take five everybody!"

Percy grabbed a drink of water and sat back down in his seat, taking a break, thinking about the songs they'd done so far. "Aaron Burr, Sir," had been fun to sing. Leo was strangely good at singing in a French accent considering he had never been there before. Percy could tell that while Frank was shy, and clumsy, he was the perfect fit for Hercules Mulligan.

"My Shot," was one of the more difficult songs so far, but Percy enjoyed a challenge. He had a long solo section, which made him nervous, but Percy tried to forget there were people watching him sing, and focused on the music.

Finally, "The Story of Tonight" had been another one Percy enjoyed. He had enjoyed them all, really. Everyone were such amazing singers, Percy felt nervous that Chiron would wake up one day, and realize that Percy wasn't anything close to the amazing actor that was needed for this part. Percy just tried to enjoy the rehearsal, and get used to the songs.

Soon, Chiron called them all back, and they started again, with "The Schuyler Sisters." Finally, three hours later, (that's including breaks) they were finished.

"That was fantastic everyone! We will have one more hour to work with the understudies, and then you will all be free to go," Chiron informed the group.

Chiron went out of the room, and came back with Mr.D, and the group of understudies came in.

"Alright, everyone, please come to take a look at the casting list, and find the name of the understudy for your character or the main actor for your character," Chiron instructed.

Percy crowded around the list with everyone else, and saw that James Peirre, was his understudy, They found each other, and then waited by their seats while Chiron gave the next instructions.

"Now, feel free to do whatever you want. You should talk about your character at some point, but you can also just talk. Both of you need to trust each other, know each other, and believe in each other."

As it turned out, James was a really nice guy. He was sarcastic, smart, a good singer, and easygoing. They spent the next hour talking about everything from Alexander Hamilton's childhood to a very heated discussion about the best ice cream flavor. After that hour was up, Chiron said they were free to go, and waved them all goodbye.

As Percy walked out the theater, he smiled. The rehearsal had gone well, in Percy's opinion. Everyone was nice, (except for Luke. While he wasn't mean, he wasn't super nice either) and it was really fun to just get to sing and dance for a living.

Percy walked into his car, and began to drive away from the theater. Now, he actually had some real proof that the last few months just might have all been worth it.

A/N: Hi! I'm proud of this chapter! I got it done in about 3 days, and you guys now have a nice early chapter. I have officially just finished a mammoth session of combined pie-baking and writing. For some reason, I offered to make the desserts for Thanksgiving, so my dad and I spent all morning, and a little bit of the afternoon, baking. We started at ten, and we literally finished at one. Thank you so much for reading! I tried my best to have a realistic chapter, and I don't know how well I did, but hopefully this sounds like something that might actually happen during a rehearsal. Please review, (only if you want to though) I really appreciate it.

Here's the link to the recommended fanfic:

s/13648395/1/The-Codependency-Competition-A-Percabeth-Fanfic